Word December 1999
by garnet eyes
Summary: Using Dictionary .com's December 1999 Word of the Day as basis for freehand thoughts and interactions of the Baron trio.  Length and perspective both vary.  Not intended to follow a single timeline.  Kain, Rosa, and Cecil in various combinations.
1. Jocund C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 01 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>jocund<em>, adjective;  
>1. Full of or expressing high-spirited merriment; lighthearted; mirthful.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil was surprisingly childish. That was all that Kain could think as he stoically brushed the snow from his armor, only to have more splatter against his chest as he dropped his hand back to his side. The dragoon was _on duty_ and his king was behaving like a little boy, grinning broadly as he packed yet another clump of snow together. Who had ever heard of a grown man throwing snowballs at people? It was annoying. It was foolish. It was _ridiculous_. And Kain was going to _cream him_ if he kept it up. There was a pretty big snow drift not that far away, and Kain was more than strong enough to haul the paladin to it and drop him.


	2. Panoply R

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 02 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>panoply<em>, noun;  
>1. A splendid or impressive array.<br>2. Ceremonial attire.  
>3. A full suit of armor; a complete defense or covering.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

It rather amazed Rosa, how much her boys obsessed over their toys. Who, in all honesty, really needed thirty different swords, spears, or any combination thereof? There was no point to it; they certainly didn't use all of those weapons. If they were trying to prove something, it wasn't very successful. But, then, Rosa didn't always understand when they went off on tangents about alloys and the ratios of hardness to flexibility. She supposed this was just one of those silly things that her boys did because of their fondness for sharp objects.


	3. Miscreant C,K, KxC

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 03 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Kain x Cecil  
>Author Notes: <em>miscreant<em>, adjective;  
>1. Disbelieving; heretical.<br>2. Depraved; behaving badly.  
>noun;<br>1. A disbeliever; a heretic.  
>2. A scoundrel; an evildoer; a villain.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil was all talk when it came to Kain's more illicit conduct. The paladin tended to rave about the dragoon's perverted behaviors, swearing that the blonde was heretofore cut off forever until he cleaned up his act. Any time Cecil went that far into his fury about something even as little as Kain's hand rubbing his backside – _purely accidentally_ – in public, the dragoon snatched the half-blood lunarian king into the closest bedchambers and positively pounded him into the mattress. Cecil's words were his only resistance, and even they ceased long before the second time his body trembled in the shocks of his release.


	4. Fugacious R, CxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 04 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Rosa, Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>fugacious<em>, adjective;  
>1. Lasting but a short time; fleeting.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

It had been devastating enough without the vile and crude behaviors of nobles such as the Rotbergs – Lord Rotberg's sons, to be specific. The kingdom was grieving, Rosa more than any other, over the loss of their king. Cecil hated to see others hurt, would defend the weak and the helpless without hesitation, and that generosity had been taken advantage of. It was just a little girl. Who convinces children to carry out their misdeeds? The white mage certainly wasn't interested in the "comfort" of the nobility surrounding her. She wanted one man, the only one who could possibly possess and comprehend the depth of her despair over losing Cecil after only four years of marriage. She no longer cared what Kain was doing in his attempts to cleanse himself. She didn't need him perfect, she just needed him _now_.


	5. Respite C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 05 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>respite<em>, noun;  
>1. A delay or postponement.<br>2. A temporary suspension of punishment; reprieve.  
>3. An interval of rest or relief.<br>transitive verb;  
>1. To grant a respite to.<br>2. To postpone; to delay.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Kain stared up at the cloudless sky from his place on the ground, his armor covered in dust. Cecil was not far from him, in much the same position, breathing hard. If he could have found the energy, the dragoon would have maneuvered his spear against the younger knight's throat and, finally, claimed victory for himself. But he was exhausted, and the two of them had been sparring for hours. The only thing he wanted to do anymore was sleep; neither one of them would be claiming superiority this day. At least, not until they'd both gotten the chance to recover from this last bout.


	6. Somnolent C,R

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 06 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>somnolent<em>, adjective;  
>1. Sleepy; drowsy; inclined to sleep.<br>2. Tending to cause sleepiness or drowsiness.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

"Cecil... Cecil, get up."

Although he heard her gentle call, the paladin could not bring himself to react. He couldn't even find the energy or the coordination to grunt.

"Cecil...?"

He'd been through enough, survived enough, that this was kind of embarrassing. Still, Rosa was next to him, and she was healing him, so he knew he wouldn't die from the wound. It was just making him so _tired_. He'd make up for worrying her later. After he'd recovered a bit.


	7. Cavil C,K,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 07 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: M<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>cavil<em>, intransitive verb;  
>1. To raise trivial or frivolous objections; to find fault without good reason.<br>transitive verb;  
>1. To raise trivial objections to.<br>noun;  
>1. A trivial or frivolous objection.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

"I fail to see how this will make either of us understand anything."

"Cecil, please. For me?"

The paladin looked away from his white mage, blushing furiously as he glanced toward the dragoon at his side before coughing and turning away from them both.

"A-as you say..."

It was awkward, at first, and the smaller knight didn't even know how his wife had managed to convince their lover to do this, to try it. Kain wanted nothing to do with Cecil sexually and the paladin felt much the same, content with the soul-deep connection they shared; it was enough to have Kain by his side always, no matter what may happen in their lives. They were both dominant men by nature, and neither wished to back down, to submit to the other. Sex wasn't meant to be a battle, but it had certainly been well on the way to becoming one before they'd even managed to finish undressing. Kain only gained the upper hand because Cecil honestly didn't understand how two men were supposed to go about intercourse – they had not the parts to combine, after all.

"What say you, now?"

Exhausted and slick with sweat and various other fluids, the paladin tilted his head toward his wife as he wet his lips. Now that he knew how it was supposed to work, the half-blood lunarian king doubted he'd be fighting against his dragoon again.

"I... I think I was not born to the correct gender."

Rosa blinked before she giggled and shook her head, brushing her fingers through stringy moon-pale strands as Kain grinned against Cecil's chest.

"I can see your point, Rosa. Cecil is quite exquisite."

The paladin blushed and shoved at the dragoon's shoulders, although there was little force involved. Kain hardly seemed to notice.

"Any time you'd care to have that new belief of yours reaffirmed, Cecil, it would be my honor to help. Repeatedly."


	8. Daedal C,K, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 08 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: M<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Edge, Kain, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>daedal<em>, adjective;  
>1. Complex or ingenious in form or function; intricate.<br>2. Skillful; artistic; ingenious.  
>3. Rich; adorned with many things.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

It wasn't frequent that King Geraldine left his kingdom to visit another, but Cecil welcomed the older male with open arms. The ninja was still a terrible flirt, but the younger king didn't really mind for the most part. The paladin did, however, become a bit displeased with the curiosity about the complexity of the relationship amongst Baron's king, queen, and guardian. That was not a subject up for debate or speculation, and he didn't like the insinuations that Edge continually made, ignoring subtle hints to leave it alone. Cecil couldn't even explain what had finally snapped in him that he decided to end the commentary once and for all, for his words shamed him terribly as soon as he came out of his irritable haze.

It was easy enough to guide the ninja to the parapets during conversation, allowing them to be free of possible listeners, and Cecil waited until he was convinced that they were alone to coolly break into a new vein of conversation, generously supplied by yet another comment about the man and woman he shared his life and duties with.

"You continue to pry about our relationship."

"That isn't-"

"No, I'll tell you. It's very simple. Kain has a very big spear. _Enormous_. And he is _skilled_."

The older man recoiled in shock, stammering a moment.

"I didn't..."

Snorting, the paladin crossed his arms and pressed his lips thin before speaking again.

"Not what you expected?"

Edge was silent for a time before his eyes glanced behind the younger king and a slow, amused grin spread across his face. Cecil didn't react until another voice entered the conversation, shattering his ire and leaving him intensely humiliated.

"I'm convinced. Tell me more about this _skill_ with this _enormous_ spear."

Bright crimson, the paladin stuttered and jerked around to see the larger knight stalking gracefully up the stairs behind him.

"K-Kain!"

Only that perverse smirk was visible due to his helmet as the blonde stopped next to the kings, and Cecil was horrified that his crass comments had been overheard. Oh, he would never live this down.


	9. Sangfroid C,K, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 09 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>sang-froid<em>, noun;  
>1. Freedom from agitation or excitement of mind; coolness in trying circumstances; calmness.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

"Calm down."

The paladin turned a sour expression on the blonde leaning against the wall, but did not stop pacing.

"It is my right to worry."

The dragoon heaved a sigh, clearly off put, and Cecil rounded on him, moon-tone brows furrowed in a mixture of irritation and concern.

"_My wife_ is giving birth! Do not act so callous!"

As they were alone, the blonde was comfortable swiftly moving around to grab the paladin from behind, holding him in a tight grip that forced the smaller knight's arms to stay at his sides. The heat of their bodies intermingled without the heavy armor in the way as Kain pressed the younger man against his chest.

"_Our_ wife. And Rosa is a strong woman; she will be fine."

Although he struggled to free his arms, there was no real strength behind the action.

"Your confidence does not ease my mind in this instance."

Pressing a chaste kiss atop moon-tone locks, the dragoon tightened his hold briefly.

"How does your worrying help?"

Cecil didn't respond, but Kain hadn't really expected him to anyway.


	10. Clinquant C,K,R

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 10 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>clinquant<em>, adjective, noun;  
>1. Glittering with gold or silver; tinseled.<br>noun;  
>1. Tinsel; imitation gold leaf.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Rosa sat at the edge of the lake under a tree, pleasantly cool as she watched her boys wrestle in the water. It was the growing season on the farms, and the sun was unbearable as it crested the sky these days. She was in a light dress, the lightest she could manage at her age, as she fanned herself with the little folding fan Kain had gotten her for her last birthday, and the light breeze across the water helped as well. She couldn't get away with joining them in the water anymore – it was too improper and she didn't want to grieve her mother – but no one seemed to notice or care that she still went with them to the lake.

And even though she couldn't join them, she found the greater pleasure in watching, anyway. With eleven years to his name, Cecil was tiny but surprisingly quick in the water, even if he wasn't nearly as strong as Kain, and managed to splash the older boy quite a bit before Kain could catch him. It didn't matter to either of them, because they were having fun and cooling off. The sun reflected off of the water as they played, glittering against their skin, making both boys look so ethereal and otherworldly, like they were beyond the reaches of mortal men. It was whimsy on her part, and Rosa knew that Cecil would be burned if he stayed out much longer for how fair his skin was, but she could not bring herself to say anything. Her boys were so happy like this, she couldn't find it in herself to stop them.


	11. Assiduous C,K,R, KxR,KxC

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 11 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Kain x Rosa/Kain x Cecil  
>Author Notes: <em>assiduous<em>, adjective;  
>1. Constant in application or attention; devoted; attentive.<br>2. Performed with constant diligence or attention; unremitting; persistent.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Kain had been frustrated beyond belief when he had first broken his leg. He was still learning proper falling technique, so the fact that he had injured himself did not really bother him. What bothered him was the fact that his leg was broken, and he was unable to do anything but lie in bed bored out of his mind while it healed. To not completely waste the downtime, his academic tutor gave him assignments – _boring_ assignments. Kain liked to move, and he often had trouble sitting still for extended periods of time; being stuck in his room was sheer torture.

Those feelings didn't last so long, though, because Rosa visited him constantly, whenever she had a free minute during the day, and that meant a lot to Kain. They were old enough now for gender to matter, and the dragoon-in-training was pleased that his affections were being reciprocated. On the other hand, he was also grossly confused by the younger knight-in-training who stuck to his side like a worried wife for the first few days and continued to sleep curled up at his side even after, on the chance that he might need something and be unable to fetch it himself. Even more than Rosa, Cecil tried to keep him comfortable and keep his spirits up. It was weird, having a male friend act in such a manner, but then again, Cecil was such a princess at times. And it wasn't as though the attention wasn't flattering or anything; Kain liked Cecil too, and was glad to know that the tiny adopted prince who would never flourish beyond his childish body at the rate he was (not) growing held the blonde in such high regard. Kain figured he'd end up Cecil's primary guard once they were older, anyway, so it was a good feeling to already be so trusted. And _okay_, he'd never admit it out loud, but Cecil was warm and comfortable against his side at night, and Kain kind of liked him there; it was probably similar to what his nights would be like once he had a wife, once Rosa was a permanent member of his family.


	12. Intractable C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 12 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>intractable<em>, adjective;  
>1. Not easily governed, managed, or directed; stubborn; obstinate.<br>2. Not easily wrought or manipulated.  
>3. Not easily remedied, relieved, or dealt with.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil knew that Kain wasn't really difficult to work with; people just needed to know how to handle him. The blonde was very loyal and very strong, not to mention entirely too stubborn for his own good. But that was fine, because it meant that Cecil could work with Kain whenever he wanted, because other soldiers just weren't very good at working with the dragoon. It wasn't Kain's fault, really; he was very good at what he did, and he expected his allies to be just as good at what they did. Cecil also knew how Kain operated, what each movement meant in relation to where the prince had to be to make the attack just that much stronger. That was probably why Kain didn't really like working with anyone besides Cecil, or at least why he acted that way. The younger knight was fine with that, because he liked having Kain around and he trusted the dragoon to hold his own when it really mattered. He supposed that Kain probably felt something similar in turn.


	13. Detritus C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 13 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>detritus<em>, noun;  
>1. Loose material that is worn away from rocks.<br>2. Hence, any fragments separated from the body to which they belonged; any product of disintegration; debris.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

"...Kain..?"

Flinching, the blonde grunted and shifted his arms in drowsy response before settling back down. After a minute, a powder white hand reached through the chill night air to gently touch an armored arm. Cecil was in no way surprised to find himself immediately flipped rather painfully onto his back, a half coherent dragoon poised over him with the fingers of one hand wrapped tightly against his throat. Chocolate eyes stared sightlessly for a moment before the hand at his throat released and Kain put a two meter distance between them before sitting down heavily. Emerald eyes shuttered to see what had become of his best friend's trust in him, to say nothing of Kain's trust in himself. They were not far from Zemus now, for how malicious the atmosphere itself felt, but they had struggled long and hard to reach this point and they needed to rest. Yet Kain would not stay anywhere near the rest, and Cecil could not find it in himself to allow his friend to suffer so. If only the dragoon would allow him in again, like before. Kain had never been so easy, though, had always tried to hide his own pains. Cecil had been able to see past the mask of indifference before, had been able to tell, usually, what caused his friend's distress. Now there was no question that Kain was suffering, but he would let no one in to help, not even Rosa. And Cecil really, really wanted to help, to do whatever he had to do for Kain to feel better, because Kain was his best friend and meant a great deal to him. There were many things hanging over their heads as they plunged through the depths of the lunar subterranean, many things that the others would probably think of as more important, but Cecil needed to mend his relationship with his best friend, needed the security of having Kain at his back. He wasn't certain that he could stand on his own as one of the most important people in his life crumbled before him. He knew he couldn't.


	14. Eschew C,K,R, 1sCxK

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 14 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, one-sided Cecil x Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>eschew<em>, transitive verb;  
>1. To shun; to avoid (as something wrong or distasteful).<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

The newly minted dragoon was a bit perturbed and fed up with something that he had noticed and really, honestly didn't like. He waited for a time, just to assure himself that he wasn't crazy, but no, one of his best friends really was deliberately trying to hide from him. And now he wanted to know why.

"Why do you run from me?"

Cecil jumped and whirled on him, looking a cross between terrified and ready to stab him in the heart up until the prince realized who had snuck up on him. Then the younger knight recoiled slightly, clearly uncomfortable.

"I'm not running."

A blonde brow rose, invisible behind the visor of his helmet, but Kain otherwise did not respond. It didn't take long for color to tinge powder white cheeks with a dusting of pink, and the adopted prince turned his back on the older teen with a huff.

"Leave me be."

That type of feminine reaction was far too predictable coming from Cecil, but Kain wasn't going to let him get away with it this time. There had to be a reason for the younger teen's recent avoidance.

"Cecil..."

Flinching, the smaller knight refused to even turn to look at the dragoon.

"Please, Kain."

For a moment, the blonde was left speechless. Cecil had never taken that kind of tone with him before, like he was desperate to make Kain leave. The dragoon immediately recoiled, anger overpowering his hurt that his best friend was trying to be rid of him, and the older knight spit out his words as he turned on heel to leave.

"Fine. I won't bother you any longer."

The day was particularly gray and moody as he walked the parapets, not actually on duty but not willing to be somewhere he may run into Cecil again. Not that he actually _would_, because Prince Cecil clearly wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

"Kain."

The dragoon nodded stiffly toward the approaching white mage as he replied, his tone a little sharper than he wished it to be.

"Rosa."

The blonde maiden took no offense, clearly having expected some mild hostility.

"Cecil is crying."

That might have meant something else to one who didn't know the bloodless prince, but Cecil hadn't cried once since he'd broken two bones in a single day not long after he started serious training as a knight. That being said, over the years Cecil did sometimes look as though he may burst into tears, although he never did, but at the same time the younger teen took most physical wounds in stride which was really the only reason anyone would ever have for tears.

"He's crying because of you."

Kain turned a chill glare toward his other best friend, apparently his _only_ best friend, his voice low with warning.

"I have only done what he's asked."

He was being defensive and he knew it, but Cecil was the one who wanted Kain out of his life, not the other way around. Rosa frowned, her hands coming up to rest on her hips as she shook her head and sighed.

"Why must you both be difficult?"

The dragoon felt ire bubble inside of him. Why was he always to blame in her mind when Cecil wasn't happy with him? It was as though they were teaming up against him, and it was hardly fair that everything be considered his fault.

"Difficult? He avoids me daily and tells me to leave! What is so difficult to understand about _that_?"

His waspish response was met with equal fervor on her part, her azure eyes narrowed in her feminine fury.

"Kain Highwind, are you too much of a coward to simply _talk_ to him?"

If there was one thing that stung more than anything else, it was to be called a dishonorable coward. She knew he hated it, knew he would react, would do what was necessary to prove that accusation false; she'd done it on purpose, he decided, as he paced up the final stairs leading to Cecil's bedchambers. Rosa hadn't told the dragoon where the clanless prince was, but she really didn't have to. Kain simply knew these things, knew the younger knight like the back of his hand, and there was no other place that Cecil would willingly be while crying. Others would mock him for his tears, tears trailing from big, doe-like eyes down a smooth, heart-shaped face that was much too feminine to belong to a man.

"K-Kain..?"

Had he not already been grossly uncomfortable, he certainly would have been at that moment as Cecil lunged into him and clung to his chest with a choked sob like some desperate woman. ...Kain really had to stop mentally comparing Cecil to a maiden, no matter how girlish he could be.

"Shh. Hush, Cecil."

But it was a hell of a lot easier to rationalize his own behavior when he wasn't thinking of the prince as just another soldier in the ranks. Kain didn't _do_ comfort, not for other men, and yet his arms automatically came up to settle against Cecil's back with special care that his armor not dig against unarmored skin covered in light silks. Cecil was the exception to Kain's rules, Cecil was _always_ the exception to Kain's rules, no matter how awkward and unusual that made their relationship.

"Don't leave. I-I just, just don't leave."

Kain sighed and closed his eyes, kind of hating himself for so easily giving in. It felt _wrong_ to be angry at Cecil right then.

"I won't leave."

The adopted prince stayed buried in as close as he could get with Kain's armor in his way, and the dragoon stood motionless as he held the younger teen and waited for the tears to calm. He really wasn't very good at comforting others, but he'd always seemed to be enough for Cecil and Rosa, and that was good enough for him. The young prince eventually calmed down to a few hiccups, and the dragoon figured it was as good a time as any other to figure out what was going on; Cecil wasn't going to be running away from him at this point.

"Now, what's wrong?"

The smaller man shrunk in on himself, but did no more than that, still settled neatly against the blonde's armored chest.

"...There is something wrong with me, and I know you will hate me for it."

Of course there was something wrong with him; he acted like a damn woman half the time. But he was still a good man, when all was said and done, and Kain knew that for a fact.

"Cecil, I won't hate you."

Big emerald eyes peered up at him, close to overflowing with unshed tears as the smaller knight babbled.

"You will, though! It... it isn't right. I know it isn't but I can't _help_ it and I thought I could get rid of it if you weren't _there_, but I don't want you to _go_-"

The dragoon shifted to gently grasp the slender prince's biceps, attempting to shake him from this unusual behavior.

"Cecil."

Kain was fairly certain that he'd never been so startled in his entire life, and that he'd never be more startled ever after. The younger knight had kissed him. _Cecil_ had kissed _Kain_. On the lips. It was... it was _wrong_. That kind of affection was meant for a man to share with a woman. The dragoon took an involuntary step back and immediately regretted it, seeing how completely Cecil drooped, as though his entire world had just ended. But Kain didn't want to be near the bloodless prince right then; he needed time to figure everything out, to decide whether or not he still wanted anything to do with the younger knight when Cecil was clearly defective somehow. Rosa could throw a tantrum for all he cared just then, Kain sure as hell wasn't going to be anywhere near Cecil in the immediate future.


	15. Apogee C,K,R

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 15 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>apogee<em>, noun;  
>1. The point in the orbit of the moon or of an artificial satellite that is at the greatest distance from the center of the earth.<br>2. The farthest or highest point; culmination.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

When they were very young, Cecil had often had troubles keeping up with Kain and Rosa during their adventures. The two blondes had always gone into the wilds on their own, could wander for hours upon hours without stress, and weren't used to needing to slow down or wait. It had bothered the prince at first, made him feel incredibly weak and useless, but the more he stuck with them the more his stamina grew. He never even really minded how Kain always sneered when he lagged behind and called him a princess, because the blonde always slowed down for him and helped him when he was having trouble climbing over something. It was perhaps a bit embarrassing to have Rosa tease him about being "delicate as a highborn," if only because Cecil knew that he wasn't royalty or even nobility by blood.

Now that they were older, he could keep up just fine. He didn't need to be better than them, either, because they'd always stuck by him so he'd rather stick by them. Supporting one another, they could go farther in life anyway.


	16. Cant K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 16 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>cant<em>, noun;  
>1. The idioms and peculiarities of speech in any sect, class, or occupation.<br>2. The use of religious phraseology without understanding or sincerity.  
>3. Empty, solemn speech, implying what is not felt; insincere talk; hypocrisy.<br>4. A whining manner of speaking, especially of beggars.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

People talked, said useless things, but never directly to him. It wasn't that they were deliberately ignoring him, but he couldn't have cared less what they were saying. Any words were little more than hollow farces, and Kain didn't care to hear any of it. He was young, a "child" still, but he knew of no one else who had ever stood in a crowd of people to witness both of his parents buried on the same day. He may have still been young, but he was old enough to realize that they were never coming back.


	17. Imbroglio C,K,R, CxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 17 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>imbroglio<em>, noun;  
>1. A complicated and embarrassing state of things.<br>2. A confused or complicated disagreement or misunderstanding.  
>3. An intricate, complicated plot, as of a drama or work of fiction.<br>4. A confused mass; a tangle.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Kain was pretty positive that he'd not actually blushed from embarrassment since his voice had stopped cracking. It wasn't that it was incredibly difficult to embarrass him, but he was very good at hiding his shame. There was no going back from _this_, though. He couldn't even blame Rosa, although he would have liked to. She needed his help, and he resigned himself to it. _Why_ she needed a dress so large was beyond him, but he suffered through being her mannequin because he knew that no one would ever know. And now here he was, standing on a stool wearing a pale purple gown as Rosa kneeled on the floor beside him, pinning the bottom up to be hemmed shorter, while Cecil slid down the wall by the doorway with tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.

Rosa turned with a bright smile toward the paladin, still holding the bottom hem while Kain tried hard to will the heat from his cheeks.

"Do you like it, Cecil?"

Gasping for air, the smaller man nodded vigorously and choked out a few words even as he fell apart into hysteria once more.

"I-it's wonderful, R-Rosa."

Kain was never living this down. Ever. This was the worst day of his life.

"I'm glad! It's for you!"

Never before had a room turned dead silent so instantly. Rosa continued in a bubbly tone, although the taller blonde knew without a doubt that she was aware of the effect of her words.

"It was supposed to be a surprise, but you've seen it now, so I don't need to bother Kain about it anymore."

...The dragoon rescinded his previous thought: today was _great_.

"P-pardon?"

The white mage stood and dusted off her knees as she spoke, her voice sweet as honey to the dragoon's ears.

"You like it, you said, and we were talking about doing things together that I wanted to do. And you agreed to do a few things only if you had a reasonable disguise, which is silly but I'm happy to make you one."

Oh this was rich. There would never be a day better than this one, Kain now knew.

"What things would he only do under disguise?"

The dragoon didn't bother to look, didn't _need_ to look. He could practically feel the mischief floating from the younger woman. Cecil's laughter had insulted her and she was getting him back in her own wonderful way.

"Oh, just-"

Clearly, whatever those "few things" were, the paladin wanted absolutely no one to know about them. Kain wasn't really offended that the smaller man had launched at him with a howl, either, not with the man blushing so hard that it almost looked painful. It would be a shame if the dress was damaged, though. Not that Kain had to worry about that, apparently, because Cecil suddenly went very, very limp against him and Rosa stood over them smiling brightly.

"Be careful with him, please. We don't want him to wake up before he's properly dressed."

Aside from the shiver of fear and mentally promising to himself that he would never get on Rosa's bad side, Kain figured that his earlier embarrassment was well worth the rest of this.


	18. Levity C,K,R, imKxC

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 18 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, implied Kain x Cecil  
>Author Notes: <em>levity<em>, noun;  
>1. Lightness of manner or speech, especially when inappropriate or excessive; frivolity.<br>2. Lack of steadiness or constancy; changeableness.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

"This is stupid."

"Oh, don't be that way, Kain."

"It is _stupid_."

"You aren't fooling anyone, you know. If you really thought I was being awful, you'd throw a tantrum."

"I would _not_-"

"Hush and put this on."

Rosa brought a hand to her lips to hide her grin, trying with all of her might not to laugh outright. Cecil may have training as a knight, but he spent most of his free time with women, and it showed in how he wrangled Kain into anything and everything he wanted to do. She was waiting for them to come out, and then they'd go to the ball together as planned, although she couldn't help but imagine just what kinds of expressions her boys were throwing at each other.

"I can't understand why you complain so much."

"Can't-you-are you an idiot?"

"There's no need to be mean."

"Cecil."

"_Kain_. I really think you just like to -oh please tell me you did not put that on the wrong way! Honestly now, how can you not dress yourself?"

"Apparently I don't have to since the princess takes care of it for me."

"Well I wouldn't have to if you would learn how to do this yourself."

"You are such a woman!"

There was a sharp sound and Rosa flinched, having heard it quite clearly even through the door.

"...Did you just _slap_ me?"

"I... I seem to have."

"...You know I was joking when I called you a princess, right?"

"Oh, you always call me that."

"...But I didn't used to actually think it was true."

There was another sharp crack and then the door swung open, Cecil storming out with a furious blush on his cheeks as Kain followed after with his own garments not fully situated, a red mark on his left cheek.

"I was _joking_."

"You were _not_."

"Oh come on, I didn't mean it."

"You're such a jerk, Kain!"

Rosa watched them turn the corner and could no longer hold back her laughter. She'd never seen another pair who behaved more like an old married couple than those two. Sometimes she was completely convinced that they were _made_ for each other. They certainly acted like it most of the time.


	19. Choler C,K,R

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 19 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>choler<em>, noun;  
>1. Irritation of the passions; anger; wrath.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Everyone always thought of Kain as being the easiest among the three of them to anger. It wasn't that he was the easiest to anger, it was simply a matter of him displaying his fury openly. Cecil's rage was cold; he never responded immediately, never yelled or became excited. He paused, distanced himself, and acted accordingly after he'd allowed himself some perspective, which meant that it was rare for him to seem cross. Rosa was... not so kind. For all of her caring, the woman had a temper on her. She simmered over her anger, seethed in irritation and annoyance, and planned out her method of attack. She was, for lack of any better description, terrifying. Kain and Cecil both let go of their fury quickly, moved on with their lives without focusing any more attention than they really needed to on any situation that prompted their ire. Rosa did not forget when she was wronged, and, eventually, the guilty party _would_ suffer for it.


	20. Inure C,K, KxC

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 20 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Kain x Cecil  
>Author Notes: <em>inure<em>, transitive verb;  
>1. To make accustomed or used to something painful, difficult, or inconvenient; to harden; to habituate.<br>intransitive verb;  
>1. To pass into use; to take or have effect; to be applied; to serve to the use or benefit of; as, a gift of lands inures to the heirs.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain knew he had _said_ that Cecil could switch their positions if he so chose, but the younger knight hadn't looked the least bit interested for five _years_. It would be cowardly to back out of their verbal agreement, but the dragoon didn't much care for the thought of the smaller man taking him. Oblivious as ever, Cecil didn't see the issue; the fight that had caused was awful, and Kain still felt like an ass for going off about such a thing being emasculating. The smaller man continued to be a bit miffed about that, but he at least relented that he would give the dragoon time, since it _was_ a rather sudden shift in their dynamics. Kain used that time to rearrange the younger knight's mind from between his legs, perhaps holding onto a little hope that his prowess would convince Cecil that there was no need for this change. Cecil was very fond of Kain's spear, after all.


	21. Bonhomie C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 21 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>bonhomie<em>, noun;  
>1. A good nature; pleasant and easy manner.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain grunted as he blocked yet another thrusting attack, irked by these particular strikes because of how awkward they were to parry with his spear. Cecil did not waver, continuing his forward press until the dragoon finally had enough and launched himself up into the air. He knew his best friend very well, and the younger knight was not focusing on winning their spar at all; Cecil had seen a fault in Kain's abilities and was forcing the older male to fix it or lose abysmally. The dragoon was grateful for such perception and dedication, pleased that he had such a good friend, but he didn't have to like how much the prince was making him struggle. Although he at least didn't have to worry about the younger knight bringing up his failings outside of this arena, for Cecil never boasted and was very courteous about other people's sore subjects. Kain couldn't find the will to dislike the intrinsically gentle prince, not even while said prince was viciously grinding his failings into his face until he figured out how to overcome them.


	22. Land of Nod C,K,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 22 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: M<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>land of Nod<em>, noun;  
>1. a mythical land of sleep.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain knew he put his king and queen at risk to pleasure them as he did, but a man would have to be quite out of his mind to decline what they offered him. He should have been guarding over them in their sleep, not emptying his energy into them with the release of his seed and falling unconscious tangled between them. His weakness for them left them vulnerable at night. But Rosa, dear Rosa, wanted him to sire a child, and Cecil wanted his own son to have a younger sibling, one of Kain's creation. The dragoon could not deny them, could not deny _himself_ a lifelong desire. He would be damned if anything should happen while he was exhausted from their passion, but he could not help his indulgence.


	23. Ineffable C,R, CxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 23 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Rosa, Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>ineffable<em>, adjective;  
>1. Incapable of being expressed in words; unspeakable; unutterable; indescribable.<br>2. Not to be uttered; taboo.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Rosa knew deep down that she could never truly describe all of the intricacies of her emotions when it came to Cecil. She often told him she loved him, but it was such a shallow sentiment when compared to the depth of her feelings. She would gladly lay down her life for him if he was in such trouble, had risked herself before and would do so again, regardless of how he fretted over her. She would give him the world if she could, although sometimes she felt as though she had already done just that when she saw how he looked at his infant son. It didn't feel like enough yet, and she very carefully kept track of his behaviors and responses to see if there was anything more he wanted, anything at all that he desired, for she would do her utmost to be certain that he obtained that very thing.

Love simply was not a strong enough sentiment to describe the lengths she was willing to go to for him.


	24. Vociferous C,K,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 24 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: M<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>vociferous<em>, adjective;  
>1. Making a loud outcry; clamorous; noisy.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil had always been very soft-spoken growing up, and that had hardly changed with time. The paladin exuded quiet confidence to his subjects and gentle care to his small family. Therefore, it had completely shocked Kain just how loud Cecil was in bed. Rosa hardly made any noise at all, but Cecil was rather _vocal_. It was only off putting the first time, because Kain really hadn't been expecting it; Rosa, however, was quite used to it, and the dragoon had warmed to the concept before the night was over. Now it was more of a point of pride to make the paladin moan like some wanton whore, because there was a definite relationship between the noises he made and the amount of pleasure he was in. It was decidedly easier when given positive proof to know that he was doing things right, although Rosa had never complained of his prowess.


	25. Beneficence C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 25 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>beneficence<em>, noun;  
>1. The practice of doing good; active goodness, kindness, or charity.<br>2. A charitable gift or act.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

The noble children who needed no aid in their studies often scoffed at the adopted prince's open willingness to tutor those who asked. It wasn't that Cecil was trying to prove himself smarter than others, or earn any praise from his teachers, either; the short teen honestly wanted to help those in need. Kain held his tongue when faced with the derogatory comments about a lowborn tutoring highborns, if only because there was intense satisfaction involved in seeing the boys that had gone to Cecil do better than those who had not. The bloodless prince hadn't even really been trying to earn any respect from his peers, but he'd certainly gathered something of a following as the years went by.


	26. Plenary C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 26 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>plenary<em>, adjective;  
>1. Full in all respects; complete; absolute.<br>2. Fully attended by all qualified members.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

"...I'm sorry."

With an annoyed sigh, the larger teen glanced over his shoulder at the tiny prince he was carrying on his back.

"Stop that. Things happen."

Wide emerald eyes blinked back tears, Cecil's entire demeanor clearly despondent.

"But this never happens when it's just you and Rosa."

Laughing, Kain shook his head and trudged on.

"Like hell. I'm impressed it took this long, really. Rosa and I have had fifteen broken bones between us. Congratulations for officially joining the ranks."

The younger teen giggled against his back before gasping in a sharp breath of pain. The blonde murmured an inaudible apology for jostling the bum leg and continued walking. He could already imagine the lecture he was going to get about responsibility and "allowing the young prince to come to harm." Hell, Kain had those lectures memorized. He'd put up with them, though, because everyone else treated Cecil like porcelain because he was still so childishly small, ignoring the bloodless prince's want to be seen as an equal. The smaller boy was stronger than he looked, both mentally and physically, and although Kain was guilty of treating him with the same care he would treat a woman, the dragoon-in-training was no where near as bad as basically every man and woman in the kingdom who saw even a glimpse of the adopted prince.

"..Thank you."

The blonde blinked and canted his head back, but paused before actually asking the question. Cecil was very woozily lying against him now, already half asleep. Kain just assumed let him rest, what with how everyone would fret over him once they were back at the castle. The blonde would sneak into his room later anyway, just to make sure he was doing alright.

"..You're welcome."

Cecil murmured against his back before drifting, and Kain felt the corners of his mouth turn up as he bent forward just a little more to keep the tiny adopted prince from slipping. He'd find out why he'd been thanked later, if he felt like it.


	27. Lassitude C,K, imKxC

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 27 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, implied Kain x Cecil  
>Author Notes: <em>lassitude<em>, noun;  
>1. Lack of vitality or energy; weariness; listlessness.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

"Cecil..."

A soft, incoherent murmur met the call, followed by more silence.

"It's freezing, Cecil. Let go of the damn covers so I can have some."

The paladin was in no way woken up any further by the words, although he did grumble and squirm the blankets tighter against himself when they started to move. There was a soft sound, like a sigh, and the covers loosened a bit again, much to Cecil's incoherent protests.

Shrieking at the sudden feeling of something _frozen_ pressing against his lower back, the paladin lunged across the bed and tumbled over the side with half of the sheets. With heightened breathing, Cecil turned to look back up at the bed, now very much awake, and saw a very startled Kain sitting up facing him with some of the sheets in his raised hand. It took the younger man a second longer to notice where the blonde's feet were, and then large emerald eyes narrowed in clear ire.

"You are freezing!"

Looking down at himself, the paladin hurried to wrap the sheets more firmly around his body over his night tunic to keep out the cold night air.

"What horrible impulse made you do that?"

When several seconds went by without a response, the smaller between them tilted his head back around to regard the elder. Kain took another few moments to formulate a response, clearly still rather off balance from what had happened.

"...You just screamed like a woman."

Blushing, Cecil dragged himself upright and back onto the bed as he spoke.

"I was asleep, you know. You could have woken me in a less violent manner. Why am I even awake, anyway? Did you just get off patrol?"

The dragoon took another moment to shake himself from his bewilderment as the smaller man crawled back to his initial spot and burrowed back down into the warm mattress. After Cecil had situated himself, Kain shuffled the other covers over the younger knight and then curled up under all of them, spooning around Cecil from behind. The paladin grumbled a bit as he settled down, clearly not happy about the chill of Kain's feet, but did not resist the way the dragoon entwined their bodies.

"I swear, you must wander around without shoes."

Kain said nothing in response, leeching the heat from the smaller body in an attempt to return feeling to his extremities from being inside frigid armor in the dead of winter. Cecil would be dead to the world again soon enough.


	28. Chary C

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 28 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil  
>Author Notes: <em>chary<em>, adjective;  
>1. Wary; cautious.<br>2. Not giving or expending freely; sparing.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil knew that his place was not set in stone, knew that he was in a precarious position that could be overturned at any time. The best thing for him to do was acquire support, so that even if he did "fall from grace," so to speak, he would not be tossed aside to rot. He had long ago decided that it was in his best interests, therefore, to always be considerate of others, so much so that Rosa often called him "sweet." It had soon gone to the point of others feeling as though they could simply walk all over him, that they could take advantage of his generosity for their own gains. _Others_ being the half-blood royals and the nobility who aligned with them; King Odin had eleven or so mistresses – Cecil didn't really want to count them – and quite a few "more proper" heirs than Cecil himself, but His Majesty still favored the boy with no blood relation. Of course, this upset those who felt that they had claim to the title of Crown Prince, but Cecil hardly reacted to them. Even though he was a tiny thing, even though his body was childish and refused to grow while everyone else matured, even though he was younger than any of the legitimate heirs, Cecil was a force of nature with a sword in hand and he knew it. He couldn't defeat those who were old enough to have officially become knights, for they had far more experience than he, but he didn't simply crumple before them. And there was a saying he had read somewhere, an old one, that went something like "honey attracts more bees than vinegar," which went a long way in explaining why the no-name prince had the backing of several key noble clans. Of course, it was debatable whether that had more to do with Kain or himself at times.


	29. Descry C,K,R, KxC,KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 29 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: M<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil/Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>descry<em>, transitive verb;  
>1. To catch sight of, especially something distant or obscure; to discern.<br>2. To discover by observation; to detect.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Rosa had known since she was about ten that Kain fancied her. She didn't really ignore it, because she _did_ like him, but she didn't really respond. She was only ten, after all, and there were a lot of things she wanted to experience in life before she settled down. It wasn't until she was thirteen that she noticed that she wasn't the only one Kain fancied. Cecil had always been a little odd, but wasn't it some rule that boys were supposed to like girls, and not other boys? Yet she knew for a fact that Kain touched the clanless prince in highly inappropriate ways, even then, and that Cecil never objected. When she was fourteen, she'd been intensely embarrassed to walk in on her oldest friend having _relations_ with the adopted prince in the latter's bedchamber. It seemed kind of wrong, what with how tiny Cecil was compared to the long and lank Kain, but she never implied that she knew what they were doing. It was clear to her that they were both smitten, although it was still odd that two men would be interested in one another in such a way. It wasn't as if they could have a family, the two of them, and Kain, at least, wanted children.

By fifteen, she started to waver, for she was expected to take a husband but she was not particularly attracted to anyone. Kain had been her best friend since she was born just about, and it felt weird to look at him as a potential husband. Cecil was sweet, a gentle youth who was kind to just about everyone, but she couldn't see herself happy with a man who was shorter than her and looked like a child because of it. And although it was utterly adorable, there was something not right about someone smaller than her fumbling through rather tentative flirtation with her. Everyone else she knew was kind of a jerk, boastful and too full of himself to be a good husband. During her sixteenth year, she was pleased to see that Cecil was growing finally, although between the two of them Kain was clearly the more manly. Around the middle of her seventeenth year, which was the start of his eighteenth year, Cecil had finished maturing, and it was in beautiful contrast to her other best friend. Where Kain was all sharp angles, Cecil was smooth curves; where Kain was roguish charms, Cecil was demure kindness; were Kain's voice was a deep rumble like a dragon's roar, Cecil's was a melodic lilt like a bard's tune. It looked right, somehow, to see them together now. Rosa refused to believe it was because, as was bantered around the rumor mill, Cecil was actually a girl in disguise. It was true that the adopted prince looked more feminine than some of the noble women, but the young white mage knew for a fact that Cecil was male. Kain knew it too, because he still clearly fancied her, much the same as Cecil still did, for that matter.

Nothing came of it all until she was nearly twenty one, and their relationship changed in a permanent way. It was a good thing that Kain so adored Cecil, though, because the dragoon's sex drive was phenomenal and no woman would ever put up with him, regardless of how incredible he was between the sheets. It was better to share the duty with Cecil, who Kain had clearly perfected his techniques on. Rosa did not envy him that, for the dragoon had a rather impressive manhood; it had to have been so much worse before Cecil had finally grown, because his body had been so tiny before. The paladin was, by comparison, a much gentler lover, and Rosa was pleased to have the relationship with them that she had.


	30. Cynosure C,K, imKxC

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 30 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, implied Kain x Cecil  
>Author Notes: <em>cynosure<em>, noun;  
>1. An object that serves as a focal point of attention and admiration.<br>2. That which serves to guide or direct.  
>3. [Capitalized] The northern constellation Ursa Minor, which contains the North Star; also, the North Star itself.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain had always wanted to believe that Cecil was a prissy jerk who wasn't happy if he didn't have someone fawning over him. It had kind of looked that way to him before the first time he'd approached the bloodless prince, and then he'd learned that Cecil _hated_ being surrounded by others. He was naturally shy and he didn't really know how to handle big groups. The blonde didn't even realize that he was looking for reasons to hate the timid younger boy as he decided that Cecil would make for a terrible leader if he couldn't even do something so simple.

Cecil was an annoying pest, though, like a cockroach, because he'd never let Kain just be satisfied with hating him. That would have been easy, and the bloodless prince never took the easiest route. Kain's defenses had been wormed through when he wasn't looking, and he only realized just how _completely_ some time around his eighteenth year, in the middle of the night, no less. Cecil had crawled into the dragoon's heart and made himself at home, and there was nothing Kain could do about it. There wasn't really anything he _wanted_ to do about it, either, not when he could keep the little prince all to himself most of the time. Cecil had never been particularly outgoing, anyway, so it hardly mattered that Kain monopolized his time.


	31. Fin de siecle C,K,R

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 31 December 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>fin de siecle<em>, adjective;  
>1. A phrase mostly used adjectively in English to signify: belonging to, or characteristic of, the close of the (19th) century; hence, modern; "up-to-date;" sophisticated; world-weary; decadent.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Rosa said that Cecil looked dashing in his princely accoutrement, but Kain was rather of the opinion that the fifteen year old looked a lot like a child's doll, or maybe a little girl who wanted to dress up in her mother's clothes and play at being a grownup. Except that Cecil was not wearing a dress or anything, and therefore the blonde knight-in-training supposed that the prince looked more like a little boy trying to fit into his father's shoes. Clothing with a lot of ruffles made Cecil look like a fluffy little sheep. The prince would definitely be offended by the comparison, but he'd at least take the time to make the castle tailors stop trying to look for ways to bulk his body in the most unflattering ways possible. In normal clothes, Cecil's silks fit him well and were made to suit his age; he looked quite good. Just tiny. There was nothing wrong with his being small, if only the tailors could be convinced of that.


End file.
